Consumption of Turkish coffee in the city of Skopje : accommodation and resistance to change

Abstract

This research study aims to investigate the current Turkish coffee consumption patterns for people living in Macedonia. Moreover it deals with the difference in consumption in relation to households and the third places. Through using primary data such as semi-structured interviews on the basis of verbatim quotations and secondary sources as well for a deeper understanding of the coffee culture worldwide, an image of the current coffee situation and by that coffee tradition in Macedonia was obtained. Additionally, the use of two socio-cultural research theories was developed, where a according to Pierre Bourdieu's Theory of Habitus and Victor Turner's Liminality theory, coffee consuming in Macedonia and in this particular case the consumption of Turkish coffee is something that has been transferred from generation to generation - as a ritual but a habit as well. The habitus of drinking Turkish coffee is an inevitable part of the overall culture in Macedonia. Furthermore, the research showed that this Habitus represents an in-between liminal state for consumers in Macedonia: since their consuming of Turkish coffee implies this to be a period of the day of total relaxation and enjoyment without doing anything else - an anti-structure. The difference in consumption in relation to households and third places, seems to appear because of several reasons, such as: arrival of new, innovative specialty (gourmet) coffees, there is a gap in generations - in the sense of older generation are more reluctant to change and to accepting global trends, unlike the young generations; Turkish coffee after some time has gained the status of home coffee, hence a way of boosting its image as traditional but as the same time as trendy coffee ought to be found so its status from home coffee' will emerge to 'coffee for everywhere'.